Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45

Kapardeśvara at Piśācamocana — Liberation of a Piśāca and the Brahmapāra Hymn

Devanagari script

व्रजामि नित्यं शरणं गुहेशं स्थाणुं प्रपद्ये गिरिशं पुरारिम् / शिवं प्रपद्ये हरमिन्दुमौलिं पिनाकिनं त्वां शरणं व्रजामि

Transliteration

vrajāmi nityaṃ śaraṇaṃ guheśaṃ sthāṇuṃ prapadye giriśaṃ purārim / śivaṃ prapadye haramindumauliṃ pinākinaṃ tvāṃ śaraṇaṃ vrajāmi

Translation

Stets suche ich Zuflucht bei Guheśa, dem Herrn des verborgenen Geheimnisses; ich nehme Schutz bei Sthāṇu, dem Unbeweglichen—bei Giriśa, dem Herrn der Berge, dem Feind der Drei Städte. Ich flüchte zu Śiva, zu Hara mit dem Mond als Krone; o Pinākin, Träger des Bogens Pināka—zu Dir komme ich in Zuflucht.

Word by Word

• व्रजामि: I go
• व्रजामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: व्रज् = गमन (to go)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन

• गुहेशम्: Guheśa (Lord of the cave)
• गुहेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गुहायाः ईशः (lord of the cave/secret place)

• स्थाणुम्: Sthāṇu (the Immovable One)
• स्थाणुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्थाणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रपद्ये: I take refuge (in)
• प्रपद्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: पद् (गत्यर्थ) with उपसर्ग प्र-; अर्थ: शरणं गच्छे/आश्रये (I take refuge)

• गिरिशम्: Giriśa (Lord of the mountain)
• गिरिशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरि + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: गिरेः ईशः (lord of the mountain)

• पुरारिम्: Purāri (enemy of the triple cities)
• पुरारिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर + अरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पुरस्य अरिः (enemy of the cities)

• शिवम्: Śiva
• शिवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• प्रपद्ये: I take refuge (in)
• प्रपद्ये: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हरम्: Hara
• हरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• इन्दुमौलिम्: Indumauli (moon-crested one)
• इन्दुमौलिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्दु + मौलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: इन्दोः मौलिः (one whose crest is the moon / moon-crested)

• पिनाकिनम्: Pinākin (bearer of the bow Pināka)
• पिनाकिनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिनाकिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; -इन् प्रत्ययान्त (possessor)

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• शरणम्: refuge
• शरणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• व्रजामि: I go
• व्रजामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/narratorial voice within the Purāṇic discourse (stuti addressed to Lord Śiva in the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Guheśa
• Sthāṇu
• Giriśa
• Purāri (Tripurāntaka)
• Hara
• Indumauli
• Pinākin

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

By invoking Śiva as Sthāṇu (the immovable) and as the ultimate refuge, the verse points to the Supreme as the unshaken spiritual ground—steadfast, transcendent, and worthy of surrender beyond changing conditions.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes śaraṇāgati (total surrender) and nāma-smaraṇa (contemplation through divine epithets). In a Pāśupata-oriented reading, repeated refuge-taking stabilizes the mind (citta) and aligns the practitioner with Īśvara as the guiding support of sādhana.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Within the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, praise of Śiva as the supreme refuge functions alongside Vaiṣṇava revelation (Kurma/Vishnu as narrator in many sections), conveying harmony rather than rivalry: devotion to Śiva is upheld as a direct path to the same highest reality honored across the Purāṇa.